El drac gros, the fat dragon. He said so. One of the young owlbears was on the loose in this area not to long ago.(hence the tracks that were spotted) My cousin Larry was hunting it and the fat drake jumped him and beat him senseless. But it spared his life. It dragged Larry back to our caves and warned all of us there would be no more mercy. The owlbears are under its protection.
The area around Featherbottom Rock, the shack and the woods, that is the sanctuary of the owlbears it said. Not that any of us would go there! The older beasts, the ones from the first generation that survived, they have grown gigantic! They have made their dens there. Burrowed under the largest trees. Like a fox does. And they have given rise to a new generation of young beasts. And these are even more ferocious and fearless than the old ones were!
And there is a different kind now too. A few different kinds. Like different breeds I think.
I won't go there. My one son and some of his gang do sometimes though. They like to play this game where one of them pokes an owlbear with a stick and runs. It chases him, and the others throw rocks. Then they all run away before the fat dragon shows up.
If I was younger, that would seem like fun. But I have nothing to prove anymore. I am a grandfather now, and I have earned the right to carry my father's club...
Iker's face grows long, his eyes set grimly, and the rusty wheels in his head start to creak.
Unless someone translates, the Woad just keeps standing keeping watch.
Ikelos can translate
Yes, but will he?
And how close to ogre’s story does he tell it?
He has nothing to hide and will try to translate as Iker is speaking. If Marko wants use to start the phone game then it is up to him to tell you what you hear.
That will drown us in months of snipey chat, which is not fun.
Long and the short of the situation is that there is a new generation of owlbears reaching maturity. The old ones, those that survived from the first generation, have grown larger. And there is a new similar creature of some sort. All of this is mainly taking place in and around the location of the former Sanctum / Shack of the deceased Lord Featherbottom, the rogue wizard that initially created them. This suggests that there is some operative at work in that area. As for the drakes, the "Fat Dragon" is probably Vibria's cousin Simon. The story goes that he was overcome with guild for eating owlbears to the point of extinction, so he switched to a vegitarian dies (meaning that he only eats herbivores).
This is certainly worth investigating
Roger, just checking
So the creatures we’re hunting have grown huge, and their offspring are even worse? The Woad needs to develop spells to fight that, but further information would be practical.
And they are protected by a dragon, is it one the covenant has a treaty with? Maybe someone suitable could negotiate with him?
Mateu nods at the translation. He has some issues following the Latin of the sorcerers, with all those weird heathen inflections they use, but the general meaning is clear to him. That is correct. This seems to require a lot of martial power to tackle. He has no idea on how dangerous the magi really are (probably a lot being heathens, just not sure how much of "a lot"). I would suggest going forward to check the numbers of owlbears, without aggression, and returning later when properly outfited for battle.
He is also quite taken aback bu the fact that ogres, dragons, drakes and weird magical creaturs are around so matter-of-factly. He thought the Pyrenees were a good hunting ground for deer and wolves, not legendary creatures!
He was also excited. this assignment was more interesting than he first thought!
Returning his attention to the ogre he nods in recognition. He has acted honourably. And he could hear a tradition in his words. He could respect that. He was a dangerous creature and one he would gladly face in a battlefield, bt properly equipped. I apologise for destroying your grandfather's cudgel. We will replace it with a proper oak piece in brief. No warrior should be without a weapon. He has no idea on how to do that, but he feels that it is the right thing to promise the ogre. After that he bows and makes it clear that the ogre can leave if he wants to.
I wish to talk to the Drake. Can we go see him. Is he known?
"Yes, that would be the next logical step," agrees Marcellus.
It was The Woad that did it. But I am impressed that Mateu not only takes the blame but promised to make amends. I like the complexity, how he comes of like a dick and has wrong headed ideas, but deep inside he has a strong sense of honor and integrity that can shine through in moments like this.
Iker the Ogre bows his head and takes his leave.The wizards have promised to make a new weapon for him, and the renown he will gain from that is worth the humbling he received. And yeah, by association, Iker assumes Mateu is a wizard.
Edith shows no signs of being over head. She thinks about how her mentor would handle it.
I was instructed to try to avoid drakes, but that was before it was known that they are connected somehow. As long as we don't engage them confrontationally, we should be alright.
I brought Oscar and Roger because they have experience and know the lore. They can answer questions better than I can.
The long and the short of the information Oscar and Roger provide...
- Andorra Covenant has a treaty with a dragon named Sigmundo. He is a shapeshifter and likes pretending he is a magus. He works closely with the covenant elders. He is also the grandfather of one of the senior magi. Vibria of Flambeau.
- According to the treaty, there is a spot way distant from here that is a no hunting zone. That is not anything we have to worry about. Outside that zone, any drakes and such are fair game. That is a rare situation though. Drakes just don't wander around. Usually
- There is a major exception. Three of them. Three rogue firedrakes with intelligence. Vibria's cousins. The deal is that they get to roam around, but they won't mess with us or things ours if we don't mess with them.
-
- One of them is Venkath, who is infamous and deadly. That is the one we must avoid. (OOC: he will kill you. You have been warned by the SG. Do what you want, but no quarter will be granted)
-
- Another is Maurice, who has learned to take human form and works for the covenant managing the salt mines of Salines (a commercial venture owned by the covenant).
-
- The third is Simon, the fat and dopey one. He is as non-threatening as a drake can get. He can still kill you all, but that is not his style. He used to hunt and eat owlbears voraciously, and has openly stated that he feels guilty about driving them to extinction.
Edith grimaces with grit and determination.
It seems pretty obvious. When we break camp come morning, we head out to Featherbottom Rock and do some recon. See if we can find this Simon dragon and talk to him
What language does Simon the Dragon speak? The Woad thinks maybe he is not the talking type best suited for this diplomatic mission.
The part about the ogre's maul sounds like it was adequately translated to the Woad. Yes, it was him who broke it. Both this, and the fact the the ogre is sapient and therefore just a huge human, tears at the Woad's conscience. A fighter should not be without a weapon! But he is satisfied that Mateu will deliver a new weapon, such practical matters are hardly a concern for a magus. Especially one who may have higher ambitions for a weapon and no skills whatsoever to craft it. 
The intelligent drakes have the Gift of Tongues, and can speak any language. Reading is a different matter. I believe Maurice is the only one that learned how.
As for pity for the ogre, keep in mind that they eat people. Just saying, it is all over the place in historic myth and legend. But myths also say that witches eat children and that wizards make pacts with demons. Now that I think about it, those examples are sometimes true. So maybe some ogres are cannibals. Grinding bones to make bread on occasion.
Nothing is ever simple. If any ogres actually threaten our locale we'll intervene. But not if they eat each other.
OOC: Mateu intends to deliver on his promise. That he proceeds to kill the ogre afterwards or not is another matter. he does not have enough information on the creature yet, but comes form an extreme military background.
Mateu agrees with Edith's plan. it seems sensible and good. Going out to find owlbears and meeting ogres and drakes is more than he hoped for when he signed in for the recon mission. His eyes sparkle. Sparkle as in excitement in a God-fearing good christian, not in the "sparkle as a heathen magus".
Dawn breaks, and the entourage packs up and proceeds to head towards Featherbottom Rock. This may take two or three days, keeping the whole group together at the pace of a lazy Private Snafu leading a donkey and a mule. There is plenty of time for rigmarole and banter and discussing ideas.
At this time, the Woad has little to say. He silently ponders about how one would adress a mighty dragon, in order to get the needed information, and to ensure he does not prohibit hunting the owlbears.
Also, he is very observant of the local environment, in order to shake off the unfamiliarities he suffers with the new terrain and climate. All the while attempting to remember way points and informaiton given, in order to learn the locale.
Ikelos will walk beside Oscar and Roger so he can learn about the Drakes. He is looking for descriptions of the various ones mentioned. Sounds that they make. Ect...
In the mornings, Marcellus will stumble along the others, half asleep. In the afternoons, he will participate in the talks between Roger, Oscar and Ikelos, listening more than he speaks.
Each day (as soon as he thinks about it, which is probably when he is coherent enough), he will offer to cast Doublet of Impenetrable Silk to anyone who asks for it, not wishing to wait until the last minute as he did with the ogre.
In the afternoon, on occasion, he will use Rise of the Feathery Body to get a better picture of where they are relative to the covenant. He will be careful to use Wizard's Sidestep before he does so, to avoid being vulnerable to missile attacks of flying creatures. He will cancel Wizard's Sidestep when he is back on the ground, using Unravelling the Fabric of Imaginem.
In the evenings, he will stay up late with whoever stands watch, chatting and getting to know more about them and Andorra. He will renew his armor-reinforcing spells after the sun goes down.